Launch of the Sustainable Hammams project in Morocco

Wood is sold by weight in Morocco. This unit of measurement encourages vendors to market heavy wood with high moisture content despite the fact that the best heating and combustion properties come from burning dry wood.

Moroccan hammams are amongst the biggest consumers of wood energy. Against a background of increasing scarcity and rising prices for these resources, energy modernization of hammams and sustainable management of supply chains are an environmental and economic necessity.

This is why GERES, with funding from the FFEM (French Global Environment Facility), has just launched the new 4-year “Sustainable Hammams” project – after running a pilot project – to help reduce consumption of wood, energy and water.

In partnership with the Moroccan association ENsEN and the association of hammam owners, 40 demonstration projects will be implemented around the country, starting in Casablanca, Rabat and Chefchaouen. The aim is to support the sector, helping it to modernize and take up environmental challenges. Renovation of boilers, training in resource management and capacity-building will enable the target hammam owners to modernize more easily.

The project, which will run until 2018, has been supported by the Itancia endowment fund since June 2014 but is still on the look-out for other financial partners.